Long Centerpiece

Background

I made a few things for the outdoor area by the pool, just to add some decoration. One was a long centerpiece with some engravings, the other was a couple of small round trays for candles or other decorations. It’s probably obvious that they were built to resemble the serving trays that were made around the same time.

One turned out great, the other…not so much. Read on for details!

Pro tip: Wood moves. Sometimes a lot. It bends, twists, warps, cups. It has a mind of its own really, and sometimes just feels uncomfortable in its own skin.

Table Decorations

North in Summer

Long Center​piece

This centerpiece was made to fit on our outdoor table near the pool. As of this writing, it’s still winter, so the piece is indoors for protection.

I tried practising finger joints (aka box joints) on this one. They turned out nice and flush.

Pretty straightforward stuff on this one. By now, I have the epoxy thing down pretty well. Stained it espresso to match the rest of the outdoor furniture. Espresso sounds so much more pretentious than black, don’t you think?

Centerpiece Sketchup

South in Winter

Next Up

Warped Beyond Repair?

The Round Center​pieces

These were made out of solid red oak boards, glued up to make a small panel. I then used a router with a circle jig to make the final shape.

Even though they are sold oak, they still warped quite a bit in the elements. I am not sure if they are even salvageable at this point, but I’ll see what I can do.

Materials

• Red Oak from KJP Select Hardwoods
• Rubio Monocoat for the finish
• The carve was done with the Shaper Origin
• Chill Epoxy for the inlay